1944 in British music

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This is a summary of 1944 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events[edit]

4 January – Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears begin a long association with Decca Records, recording four of Britten's folk song arrangements.^[1] Britten spends most of this year at the Old Mill in Snape, Suffolk, working on the opera Peter Grimes.
March – Vera Lynn goes to Shamsheernugger airfield in British India to entertain the troops before the Battle of Kohima.^[2]
19 March – Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time receives its first performances at London's Adelphi Theatre.
25 May – Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears record Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings for Decca, with Dennis Brain and the Boyd Neel Orchestra.^[3]
28 July – Sir Henry Wood, aged 75, conducts his last Promenade Concert, evacuated to the Corn Exchange, Bedford.^[4] He dies three weeks later.
23 September – English-born composer and violist Rebecca Clarke, stranded in the United States by the war, marries James Friskin, composer, concert pianist and founding member of the Juilliard School faculty.^[5]

Popular music[edit]

"One Love", music and words Jack Popplewell.

Classical music: new works[edit]

Arnold Bax – To Russia for baritone solo and chorus (Masefield)
Gerald Finzi – Farewell to Arms
Ernest John Moeran – Sinfonietta (dedicated to Arthur Bliss)
Grace Williams – Sea Sketches
William Wordsworth – Symphony No. 1 in F minor

Film and Incidental music[edit]

William Alwyn – The Way Ahead^[6]
Jack Beaver, Roy Douglas & James Turner – Candlelight in Algeria^[7]
Allan Gray – A Canterbury Tale^[8]
Gordon Jacob – For Those in Peril^[9]
William Walton – Henry V,^[10] directed by and starring Laurence Olivier

Musical theatre[edit]

25 May – A Night In Venice (Johann Strauss II) London production opens at the Cambridge Theatre

Musical films[edit]

Champagne Charlie starring Tommy Trinder
One Exciting Night directed by Walter Forde and starring Vera Lynn, Donald Stewart and Mary Clare.

Births[edit]

3 January – David Atherton, conductor^[11]
5 January – Jo Ann Kelly, singer and guitarist (John Dummer Band) (died 1990)^[12]
9 January – Jimmy Page, rock musician and producer (Led Zeppelin)^[13]
19 January – Laurie London, English singer^[14]
27 January – Nick Mason, percussionist and composer (Pink Floyd)^[15]
28 January – John Tavener, composer (died 2013)^[16]
2 February – Andrew Davis, conductor^[17]
15 February – Mick Avory, drummer
1 March – Roger Daltrey, vocalist (The Who)^[18]
17 March – John Lill, pianist^[19]
23 March
- Tony McPhee, blues rock guitarist and singer (The Groundhogs) (died 2023)^[20]
- Michael Nyman, composer^[21]
6 April – Felicity Palmer, operatic mezzo-soprano^[22]
26 April – Richard Bradshaw, opera conductor (died 2007)
8 May
- Gary Glitter, singer-songwriter
- Bill Legend, drummer (T. Rex and Bill Legend's T. Rex)
10 May – Jackie Lomax, singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Undertakers) (died 2013)
12 May – Brian Kay, singer, conductor, and radio host (The King's Singers)
20 May – Joe Cocker, singer (died 2014)
17 June – Chris Spedding, singer-songwriter and guitarist
21 June – Ray Davies, singer-songwriter (The Kinks)
22 June – Peter Asher, singer and record producer (Peter & Gordon)
24 June
- Jeff Beck, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- John "Charlie" Whitney, English guitarist (Family, Axis Point, and Streetwalkers)
- Chris Wood, English saxophonist (Traffic and Ginger Baker's Air Force) (d. 1983)
22 July – Rick Davies, keyboardist (Supertramp)
2 August – Jim Capaldi, musician and songwriter (died 2005)^[23]
5 August – Christopher Gunning, composer
16 August – Kevin Ayers, singer-songwriter (died 2013)
10 September – Thomas Allen, operatic baritone
9 October – John Entwistle, bassist (The Who) (died 2002)
2 November – Keith Emerson, keyboardist and composer (died 2016)
10 November – Tim Rice, lyricist

Deaths[edit]

19 January – Harold Fraser-Simson, songwriter and composer of light music (born 1872)^[24]
6 February – Philip Michael Faraday, organist, composer and theatrical producer (born 1875)^[25]
12 February – Annie Fortescue Harrison, songwriter and composer of piano music (born 1850 or 1851)
29 February – Durward Lely, operatic tenor (born 1852)
9 May – Dame Ethel Smyth, composer (born 1858)^[26]
24 June – Chick Henderson, dance band singer (born 1912; killed in action)^[27]
4 July – Alice Burville, singer and actress (born 1856)
11 July – Frank Bury, composer (born 1910; killed in action)^[28]^[29]
13 July – Eda Kersey, violinist (born 1904; stomach cancer)^[30]
19 August – Sir Henry Wood, conductor (born 1869)^[31]
21 September – Louis N. Parker, dramatist, composer and translator (born 1852)^[32]

References[edit]

^ Stuart, Philip. Decca Classical 1929–2009, accessed 15 June 2014.
^ "Technology Obituaries: Bernard Holden". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
^ Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 2 1939–45. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-16058-1. p. 1196.
^ "Jubilee Prom". The Yorkshire Post. Leeds. 1944-07-28. from the rural B.B.C. studio to which the concerts have been transferred.
^ Curtis, Liane (May 1996). "A Case of Identity" (PDF). Musical Times: 20.
^ John C. Dressler (March 2013). William Alwyn: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-136-66003-0.
^ Kevin Sweeney (1999). James Mason: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-313-28496-0.
^ Jefferson Hunter (5 April 2010). English Filming, English Writing. Indiana University Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-253-00414-7.
^ Jan G. Swynnoe (2002). The Best Years of British Film Music, 1936-1958. Boydell & Brewer. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-85115-862-4.
^ Kennedy, Michael. "Walton, Sir William Turner (1902–1983)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2008, retrieved 27 September 2010 (subscription required)
^ Gerald Norris (June 1981). A musical gazetteer of Great Britain & Ireland. David & Charles. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-7153-7845-8.
^ Colin Larkin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-7535-0226-6.
^ Joseph Murrells (31 December 1984). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory. Batsford. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-7134-3843-7.
^ Joseph Murrells (1978). The Book of Golden Discs. Barrie and Jenkins. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-214-20480-7.
^ Vernon Fitch (2005). The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia. Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-894959-24-7.
^ Maggie Humphreys; Robert Evans (1 January 1997). Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland. A&C Black. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-7201-2330-2.
^ Roderick L. Sharpe; Jeanne Koekkoek Stierman (30 May 2008). Maestros in America: Conductors in the 21st Century. Scarecrow Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4616-6948-7.
^ Ben Marshall (27 October 2015). The Who: 50 Years: The Official History. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-239638-9.
^ Gerald Norris (June 1981). A musical gazetteer of Great Britain & Ireland. David & Charles. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7153-7845-8.
^ Adam Sweeting (10 June 2023). "Tony McPheen". The Guardian. London.
^ Colin Larkin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-7535-0427-7.
^ Laura Williams Macy (2008). The Grove Book of Opera Singers. Oxford University Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-19-533765-5.
^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 92. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ The Times obituary, 20 January 1944, p. 7
^ John Parker (1916). Who's who in the Theatre. Pitman. p. 1867.
^ Ethel Smyth (16 April 2013). Impressions That Remained - Memoirs of Ethel Smyth. Read Books Limited. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4465-4542-3.
^ [1] CWGC Casualty Record.
^ CWGC entry
^ Edward Greenfield; Robert Layton (2000). The Penguin Guide to Yearbook 2000-2001: Best Buys in Classical Music. Penguin Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-14-051382-0.
^ The Strad. Orpheus. 1984. p. 51.
^ Stephen Lloyd (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Boydell & Brewer. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-85115-803-7.
^ Wilson library bulletin. 1944. p. 155.

[1] Stuart, Philip. Decca Classical 1929–2009, accessed 15 June 2014.

[2] "Technology Obituaries: Bernard Holden". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2014-06-14.

[3] Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 2 1939–45. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-16058-1. p. 1196.

[4] "Jubilee Prom". The Yorkshire Post. Leeds. 1944-07-28. from the rural B.B.C. studio to which the concerts have been transferred.

[5] Curtis, Liane (May 1996). "A Case of Identity" (PDF). Musical Times: 20.

[6] John C. Dressler (March 2013). William Alwyn: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-136-66003-0.

[7] Kevin Sweeney (1999). James Mason: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-313-28496-0.

[8] Jefferson Hunter (5 April 2010). English Filming, English Writing. Indiana University Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-253-00414-7.

[9] Jan G. Swynnoe (2002). The Best Years of British Film Music, 1936-1958. Boydell & Brewer. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-85115-862-4.

[10] Kennedy, Michael. "Walton, Sir William Turner (1902–1983)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2008, retrieved 27 September 2010 (subscription required)

[11] Gerald Norris (June 1981). A musical gazetteer of Great Britain & Ireland. David & Charles. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-7153-7845-8.

[12] Colin Larkin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-7535-0226-6.

[13] Joseph Murrells (31 December 1984). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory. Batsford. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-7134-3843-7.

[14] Joseph Murrells (1978). The Book of Golden Discs. Barrie and Jenkins. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-214-20480-7.

[15] Vernon Fitch (2005). The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia. Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-894959-24-7.

[16] Maggie Humphreys; Robert Evans (1 January 1997). Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland. A&C Black. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-7201-2330-2.

[17] Roderick L. Sharpe; Jeanne Koekkoek Stierman (30 May 2008). Maestros in America: Conductors in the 21st Century. Scarecrow Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4616-6948-7.

[Marshall2015-18] Ben Marshall (27 October 2015). The Who: 50 Years: The Official History. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-239638-9.

[19] Gerald Norris (June 1981). A musical gazetteer of Great Britain & Ireland. David & Charles. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7153-7845-8.

[20] Adam Sweeting (10 June 2023). "Tony McPheen". The Guardian. London.

[21] Colin Larkin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-7535-0427-7.

[22] Laura Williams Macy (2008). The Grove Book of Opera Singers. Oxford University Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-19-533765-5.

[23] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 92. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

[24] The Times obituary, 20 January 1944, p. 7

[25] John Parker (1916). Who's who in the Theatre. Pitman. p. 1867.

[26] Ethel Smyth (16 April 2013). Impressions That Remained - Memoirs of Ethel Smyth. Read Books Limited. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4465-4542-3.

[27] [1] CWGC Casualty Record.

[28] CWGC entry

[29] Edward Greenfield; Robert Layton (2000). The Penguin Guide to Yearbook 2000-2001: Best Buys in Classical Music. Penguin Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-14-051382-0.

[30] The Strad. Orpheus. 1984. p. 51.

[31] Stephen Lloyd (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Boydell & Brewer. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-85115-803-7.

[32] Wilson library bulletin. 1944. p. 155.

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Events[edit]

Popular music[edit]

Classical music: new works[edit]

Film and Incidental music[edit]

Musical theatre[edit]

Musical films[edit]

Births[edit]

Deaths[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]